The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-11

This 10 the way Jeuereon, otymour
aud Tilden spoke out upon prohibit
ton. Never was greater truth ut.
tered upon the earth than that tenn.
perapce cannot be enforced by law;
the proper place to commence is In the
church. Let the church pay half the
attention to temperance as II has to
prohibition and you will have a grand
revival. Go out Of your churches and
ask the Legislature to make laws Of
this kind and you admit that the
church has failed. Men tell you that
the master made no law for the future.
Thank God, His laws apply from the
earliest to the most remote periods Of
time"
Mr.. Harris here quoted John Quincy
Adams, Herbert Spencer, the Hon.
Henry Wstterson, Henry Ward
Beecher, Senators Coke, Voorhees,,
Vest and other distinguished thinkers
in support OF his position.
Here Mr., Harris reminded Mr..
Thomas that bis progressive Demos
racy" seemed to have led him ssnay,
and reminded him that his utterances
were In the teeth and doctrines OF the
party from the DAYS OF Jefferson to the
present hour. He also reminded him
that the last three National Uonven-
tons had declared against sumptuary
laws, and II was child's play for him
(Mr. Thomas) to say that prohibition
was not sumptuary, nor wonld 1t avail
him TO say that the law did not 80 re-
gard 1t. That plank In the platform
had been construed to mean prohibit
ton, and the gentleman 70 recognized
IL, and as Democrat was bound by IL.
He regretted to observe that the ora.
toricAl flight Of bis friend, in
which he stlgmstiIed the Democratic
party and pronounced its renowned
leaders set Of blockhesds; that the
inspiration for the occasion WAS drawn
from the Hon. Emerson Etheridge,
who signifed his cordial approval
from the audience. His friend simply
thought himself q smarter man today
than Mr.. Jefferson and statesmen
mentioned were In their day. Mr..
Harris said: "Whenover / get 90 large
that / feel larger than al my
neighbors; whenever become go in
fated as to feel that my party and its
honorsd leaders dwindle into ineig.
nificsnce beside my own wisdom, then
/ want to die. 1 thank Thee, my
Father, that my inspiration comes
from these leaders and the eternal
principles Of Democracy; but God for.
bid that / should draw inspiration In
questions OF morals, religion, or politics
from Emerson Etheridge.
"Mr. Thomas must not say that /
have read him out OF the party. /
deny the right OF any man to do that,
but | submit TO you, fellow citiz,ns,
that tue gentleman, by his own act
and utterances, has pretty eff c.ually
read himself out. LIST us hope II may
be for this trip only.
TT is Insisted that the people nj Ten.
nessee are suffering under a ieaiiul
curse; that the whisky traffic IL a be-
80 IN Of destruction, blighting the hap.
piness OF her people aud sSpping and
undermining the prosperity OF the
Oommonweslth-the usual picture Of
faded calico dresses and starving
women aud children the saloon
Is said 10 be the cause OF this sup.
posed stais OF facts. Now, am not
the spologist or advocate OF the saloon.
l deem II curse unregulated by Law;
but as a temperance man, i much pre-
fer the open saloon on the corner,
with large glass doors and Window,
and no screen, open TO inspection OF
police and public gAa, to driving the
traffic into drug stores, grocery stores,
secret dives, and holes In the wall,
which pay no revenue and can be fire.
quented without observation or sus.
pIcion, being carried on under the
gulse OF other buainess. This evil
eau be regulated, but not suppressed
by law. Moral suasion must do the
rest.
"Almost in the same breath In which
you were told Of this fearful blight
upon our State, our friend told us, Ia
an attempt at sarcasm on personal
liberty, that three fourths OF the State
had been robbed Of personal liberty
by the four mile law. How amusiugly
consistent, the State In rags and ruin,
and three iourths OF II under Q Law
which he says prohibits. These peo.
pie, however, are more consistent In
their eRgreasions than In their reason.
ing. They asked the four mile law
first 10 protect minors while OF at
college. Then they demanded that II
apply % all chartered institutions OF
learning. Next they must have IL
apply TO all school houses, and nov
they demand prohibition In a mild
form. Give II 10 them, and next year
Il must be absolute. ALI this simply
proves that the more tamely the pel.
pie submit 10 encroachment, the
greater the enotcachment. Fellow
citEsn-, guard well your privileges
Old Hickory never eaid trulr thing
thau, Eternal vigilance Is the price
oil liberty
That II IL the right and duty OF the
government 10 enact laws for the pro.
lection Of idiots, Insane persons,
minors and eayAges, nobody denies,
but here It. power ends. II can not
put m adult Of sound mind In lead.
log strings And yet, and yet, Mr..
Thomas's progressive democracy and
palernal republicanism' would do
Just that ihing. The index finger OF
this tynut hand poiu,s back TO the
barbarian days Of Malcolm /, when
the lord Il the manor demanded AZ q
right, and enforced ", concuoinage
with the wife OF every terf on marrlsge
night. Away with such blrbArism.
II nov Invite your attention TO this
question as one OF political economy.
The friends Of this amendment must
show that It's adoption would prove
manifesily 10 the bsnehI oil the ma.
teria interests Of the state, or their
cause falls 10 the ground. This my
friend has not even attempted. He
simply wants prohibition on q senti.
ment. This State is today in pros
perous condition, her population In.
creasing and her resources being rap.
idly developed. II isa Wise maxim
10 Let vol enough alone;' bu. sup.